In an installation for Hermès, Goa-based artist Svabhu Kohli brings art, ecology, and imagination together to explore the blurring relationships that sustain the natural world
VINIKA VISWAMBHARAN | NT BUZZ
To imagine a world differently is also to question how we have learnt to see it. With a seahorse rising among flowers while marine creatures and forest inhabitants share a glimmering star-lit background, artist Svabhu Kohli’s recent art installation for the French luxury house, Hermès, adds to a fantastical world where familiar forms take on new relationships and the boundaries between ecosystems begin to dissolve.
This approach responds to Hermès’ annual theme, ‘Venture Beyond’, through a playful reimagining of the world, which is currently on display at The Chanakya Mall in New Delhi until January 10, 2027.
“Nothing in nature grows alone,” says the Goa Velha-based artist. “I wanted to bring different beings into a dance together, where they are not separated ecosystems, but continuous interwoven landscapes where boundaries soften and life adapts. It was about venturing beyond how we see the world and creating new imaginations around us.”
The collaboration also brought together two longstanding interests for Kohli: artistic experimentation and the value of craftsmanship. They were drawn to Hermès’ history of working with artisans and its window displays, which have provided artists with a space for creative interpretation over the years.
“I have great respect for the desire to work by hand, for that dignity in a time when everything is becoming AI and tech-driven,” says Kohli.
The process took almost a year, involving extensive explorations of materials, structures, and colours, along with repeated prototyping to determine how the installation would work within the physical limitations of the windows.
Objects from the house have been integrated into the installation with help from the Hermès India Communications team. Through this process, Kohli learnt that rather than placement, objects find a home in this setting.
The freedom to interpret the theme in their own way was equally important. Kohli says the French design house gave them the space to develop their vision without imposing restrictive expectations on the final work. “They gave me a canvas to have fun and supported me till the very end,” they say.
For Kohli, whose practice draws on ecological relationships, research and magical realism, the installation was not about recreating nature as it exists. Instead, it offered a way to imagine how its elements might interact when viewed beyond familiar categories.
“I don’t believe in drawing lines,” they say, when asked about the balance between scientific accuracy and artistic imagination. “It is about celebrating imagination and creating new ways of seeing the world.”
Their understanding of artistic practice also extends beyond individual projects. Alongside creating meaningful work, they mention that artists are constantly teaching, mentoring and building multiple disciplines at once. They resist viewing their journey as a straightforward progression from one stage to another.
“I see time truly as non-linear. It’s expanding and contracting in very different ways for me,” explains Kohli.
That philosophy extends to how the installation is meant to be experienced. Kohli does not want viewers to be directed towards a single focal point or given a prescribed way of reading the work. Every element, whether a small butterfly or an oversized seahorse, receives the same attention.
“My work is not based on visual hierarchies,” they say. “I enjoy when a viewer can make their own starting point. I don’t want to dictate that in any work that I create.”
They see artists as world-builders, with every detail forming part of a deliberate process. “Everything that you see there is not a coincidence. It’s a choice. And that’s a choice we also make as creators.”
The response to the installation has been particularly meaningful to Kohli. Beyond the immediate appreciation of its visual details, they have received personal anecdotes from viewers about their experiences with the work.
“It’s the beauty of making art that creates a very personal connection with your audience,” they say. “That is also a sacred place to hold between the viewer and the artist.”
